During October, we’re bombarded with pumpkins; they seem to be everywhere we turn.  Although many of us resort to ‘picking’ pumpkins as a decoration with cornstalks on the front steps, I opt for baking this sweet orange veggie and reap a nice dose of vitamin A.  There are so many pumpkin recipes out there…pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin butter…I could go on forever and I’m sure each of you has your very own favorite pumpkin recipe during this harvest time of the year.

After some experimenting in my kitchen, I’ve created a pumpkin pudding that is tasty and pure, not too sweet yet enough to satisfy your palate after dinner.  This recipe calls for canned pumpkin; my favorite brand is Libby’s, which tastes delicious and adds the perfect touch of moistness to this pudding.  And the best part (aside from the taste, of course) is that this recipe is both dairy and gluten-free!

Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 can canned pumpkin puree
• 2 cups rice milk
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Egg substitute for 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• Dash of nutmeg
• Dash of sea salt
• Dollop of Greek yogurt (or soy yogurt/whip cream) for topping
• Dried cranberries, finely chopped for topping
• 4 Tbsp. cashews, finely ground for topping

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Spray custard dishes with baking spray.
• In a saucepan, heat rice milk, agave nectar and brown sugar over low heat;  stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
• Slowly add in eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt and almond extract.
• Transfer equal amounts of pudding mixture into custard dishes (fill 3/4).
• Place custard dishes into a shallow roasting pan filled 1/2 way with hot water.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of pudding comes out clean.
• Place into the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
• Top with a dollop of Greek plain yogurt and a sprinkle of dried cranberries and cashews.
• Enjoy!